Liberals Ed Cocks and Zed Seselja when Mr Cocks won preselection for Bean. Photo: Facebook.
Liberal Senator Zed Seselja topped the Senate ballot paper in a 17-candidate field for the ACT when the Australian Electoral Commission conducted its draw after the close of nominations.
The coveted No 1 spot on the ballot traditionally gives the holder an advantage over opponents, garnering the donkey vote on polling day.
But most, including Senator Seselja, have played down the value of the ballot position in an electorate as astute and well studied as the ACT, which has a relatively small ballot paper compared with states such as NSW.
Behind Senator Seselja and his running mate Robert Gunning are the Greens’ Penny Kyburz, who is pushing strongly to unseat the Liberal, and Emma Davidson.
Then follows Independents Anthony Pesec, arguably a ‘small l’ and ‘green’ liberal alternative who is also targeting Senator Seselja, and former Canberra Liberals president Gary Kent.
Labor’s Katy Gallagher, hoping to return to the Senator after falling foul of Section 44 of the Constitution and dual citizenship, is 13th on the ballot paper, with her running partner Nancy Waites.
There are four conservative candidates vying for the disaffected voter, with Fraser Anning’s Conservative national party’s Shane van Duren and Scott Birkett at seven and eight, followed by Peter Walter and Rebecah Hodgson for Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party.
Sustainable Australia, whose platform argues that the nation cannot support higher immigration and population, is running two candidates – John Haydon (11) and Joy Angel (12).
There are two more Independents at 15 and 16 – Nick Houston and Gary Cowton, while Kim David pulls up the rear for the Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group).
In the contests for the House of Representatives, the battle for Bean in the south has attracted the biggest field with eight candidates, the central seat of Canberra six, and Fenner in the north five.
In Bean, the Labor favourite, former senator David Smith is seventh on the ballot, and his main rival, Liberal Ed Cocks, is sixth.
In the redistributed seat of Canberra, previously held by Labor’s Gai Brodtmann, it looks like a three-way contest between Labor’s Alicia Payne (2), the Greens’ Tim Hollo (3) and Liberal Mina Zaki (4). Perennial Independent Tim Bohm tops the ballot.
In the north, sitting member Andrew Leigh (Labor) has drawn four and looks untroubled to hold the seat.
Independents, the UAP and the Australian progressives are also represented across the three ACT seats.
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What’s Your opinion?
Seselja tops ballot paper for Senate poll
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Zed never has represented the views of the majority and should go the way of all Dutton’s stooges – out!
Let’s good everyone puts Zed LAST
Put Zed last.
I don’t think Seselja represents the views of most Canberrans.
You may be correct but I know more people who agree with his views than do not.
Strangely, I have never met anyone who approves of Andrew Barr’s views so how do you explain that?
Me either..
“….in an electorate as astute and well studied as the ACT…..”
An electorate which is so astute and well studied that both major parties have long since worked out they can take it for granted.
To put that another way, if, in a weird parallel, Drover’s Dog in Reverse Universe, the ACT Liberals managed to run a lead Senate candidate who was like a local version of Jacinda Ardern or Barack Obama, the Liberal vote would still be much the same as it will be on 18 May – because all those astute, well studied Canberrans would still find a reason not to vote for her or him, and would still then be sulking because Canberra never quite gets the federal government love they think it deserves.
All of that said, if Zed does get the boot this time, there could be some quite entertainingly unexpected consequences.
When are you running Matt Calder? I need someone to vote for!
If you’re in Canberra, can I humbly put myself forward?
I think his name is horrible and I am sick of seeing it everywhere.
Yeah that's great , I won't be voting for him regardless of if he is no.1
How many donkeys in the ACT?
Let every vote he receives be considered a donkey vote.
Get ready for retirement zed
He prefers to campaign with Tony Abbott in Warringah... bloke’s a dud.
Put the Senator last
He should be last. Has done nothing for Canberra.
He ousted Garry Humphries who did a lot for Canberra and then rested on his laurels as a dud.
OK, so when I vote, Zed will be vying with Fraser Anning’s henchmen, Clive Palmer’s stooges and Fred Nile's lackey for the coveted position of who I put last.
Spoilt for choice!
Last election he had "paid" volunteers handing out his how to vote cards
Saw him at Mawson today. Smug and relaxed. You won’t be smug and relaxed when you’re out of a job very soon.
Luckily ACT voters aren't stupid and Zed is well known and hated by most Canberra voters.
Lachlan Martin your mate